J.C. Newman’s José Gaspar Cigar Gets New Shape for 2024

For the third year in a row, Tampa-based J.C. Newman will celebrate the city’s annual Gasparilla festival with a special cigar that can only be purchased in Tampa.

The José Gaspar 2024 is a 6 1/2 x 52 torpedo that uses an Ecuadorian habano wrapper over a Nicaraguan binder and Nicaraguan fillers. Like last year’s release, which was a 6 x 54 toro extra, the José Gaspar 2024 has an MSRP of $8 per cigar and will be limited to 2,000 packs of five cigars. The cigars will only be sold at select retailers, all of which are based in Tampa:

• Casa de Montecristo
• Cigar City Brewery Co.
• The Columbia
• Corona Cigar Co.
• Edwards Pipe and Tobacco
• Grand Cathedral
• Hotel Haya
• J.C. Newman Cigar Museum and Factory Store
• King Corona Cigars
• King Corona International Plaza
• Sterling Cigar Lounge
• Tampero Cigars Ybor City
• Tobacco Depot
• Vincent & Tampa Cigar Co.
• Visit Tampa Bay

The name, José Gaspar, is a reference to the legendary pirate who inspired the Gasparilla Pirate Festival, which is celebrated each year in late January. While he might be one of the most famous pirates in history—and has his own Wikipedia page—there’s little to no evidence there was a real pirate named José Gaspar. Each year, Tampa plays host to a festival that begins each January and lasts into March, during which three major parades and other smaller events take place.

“José Gaspar was one of most feared pirates in the Americas,” said Drew Newman, fourth-generation owner of J.C. Newman, in a press release. “Sailing from his base near Tampa Bay in the late 1700s, he terrorized the Gulf of Mexico and amassed a great fortune. Gaspar celebrated victories with a bold and flavorful cigar. This cigar honors his legacy and the tradition of Gasparilla.”